The internet has allowed businesses from all over the world to reach a global market, and allow consumers to purchase products that they would not otherwise be able to obtain within their country. At the same time, it also makes regulation of illicit products more difficult, creating a boom in the counterfeit drugs market that is now worth billions globally.
In countries where the regulatory and policing systems for illicit drugs are weak, counterfeit drugs even creep into the physical market. While they have nearly identical packaging to the real medicines, they contain no active ingredients. This prevents patients from getting the drug that they need, delaying treatment and causing harm to their health. As the public lose faith on their health system, they would be discouraged from conventional medicine and seek less effective therapeutic methods.
There have been strong international efforts to crack down on distributors and producers of counterfeit drugs. Operation Pangea III, a transnational operation that tackles the problem of counterfeit drugs online, has involved 45 countries. The operation has helped regulators recover $2.6 million worth of illicit and counterfeit drugs, arrested 76 people around the world and shut down 290 illegal websites. With increasing political will and technological assistance, the global problem of counterfeit drugs can be controlled.
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